There are many reasons why donors are phasing out Family Planning (FP) programs in specific countries and regions.
Background
In some cases, donors are choosing to redirect resources to countries with the greatest need because current funding cannot keep up with the global demand for family planning.
And, as mentioned earlier, disease-specific initiatives, such as those for HIV/AIDS and malaria, are gaining more attention and commitment from the global community, diverting resources away from FP programs.
In many cases, countries experiencing phaseout are often those with greater economic and political stability; the expectation in these instances is that governments will take ownership and increase commitment for meeting the healthcare needs of their populations.
As donors phase out donations of or funding for the purchase of FP commodities, sustainability and capacity building for governments are crucial areas of focus. Generally, under the conditions of phaseout of FP assistance, a country gradually increases its financial support for FP services and commodities.
In this process, often governments will initiate the task of contraceptive procurement for the first time and need to put appropriate policies in place to facilitate obtaining the best prices available (see "Intergovernmental Advocacy to soften regulations around Contraceptive Procurement in Mexico" on the next page).
In addition, governments require capacity building assistance in using data and information to forecast and plan for contraceptive purchases and must mobilize all potential sources of financing to purchase the needed contraceptives.
